Breast Cancer Health Center

Tools & Resources

Low- and Moderate-Penetrance Genes Associated With Breast and / or Ovarian Cancer

Guide

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Male breast cancer has been observed in PALB2 mutation–positive breast cancer families.[59,65] In a study of 115 male breast cancer cases in which 18 men had BRCA2 mutations, an additional two men had either a pathogenic or predicted pathogenic PALB2 mutation (accounting for about 10% of germline mutations in the study and 1%–2% of the total sample).[59] Following the identification of PALB2 mutations in pancreatic tumors and the detection of germline mutations in 3% of 96 familial pancreatic patients,[72] numerous studies have pointed to a role for PALB2 in pancreatic cancer. A sixfold increase in pancreatic cancer was observed in the relatives of 33 BRCA1/2-negative, PALB2 mutation–positive breast cancer probands.[65]PALB2 mutations were detected in 3.7% of 81 familial pancreatic cancer families [73] and in 2.1% of 94 BRCA1/2 mutation–negative breast cancer patients who had either a personal or family history of pancreatic cancer.[74] Two relatively small studies, one of 77 BRCA1/2 mutation–negative probands with a personal or family history of pancreatic cancer, one-half of whom were of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and another study of 29 Italian pancreatic cancer patients with a personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer, failed to detect any PALB2 mutations.[75,76]

The observed prevalence of PALB2 mutations in familial breast cancer varied depending on ascertainment relative to personal and family history of pancreatic and ovarian cancers, but in all studies, the observed mutation rate was less than 4%. The RR of breast cancer appears moderate, and the risk of other cancers (e.g., pancreatic) is poorly defined; therefore, the clinical utility of testing is not clear. There is insufficient evidence to support routine screening of PALB2 when tests of the more common genes, namely BRCA1/2, are negative.